Piccolo Arancio

We had a lovely dinner. I had the special which was delightful. The service was great but the location was less than ideal. I’m not from the NE area so maybe this is the norm for this region. Everything was really nice though.
Will totally be back if in the area again.

Amazing! From the soft shell crab, to the Mozzarella in Ragu, to the Pasta Saltimboca — it was just perfect. Great wines. Great Food and great service. Our Server Francesca was the greatest. Love this place!!!

Food is average (3 stars). Service is what gets this place 1 star. Women are treated like it’s a favor to serve them. The wait staff are not trained in how to be a proper server, which is disappointing at the prices they charge.

The food was amazing! I went here with a group of 7 and everyone really enjoyed everything.

I have been going here since they first opened about 20 years ago. I have not been a social media fan up till now so let me give you a review that been long due… Sal the owner and chef turns out consistently great food. I would recommend the pasta dishes or anything on the specials menu. Don’t forget a bottle of wine from the extensive list and the tiramisu for desert. I need to mention the wait staff most who have been there for years, they do a great job.

I haven’t been to Piccolo Arancio in several years, but recently went for a work lunch. What used to be one of my favorite restaurants has definitely gone down hill.
The service was still top notch, our server was quite attentive the whole time we were there. The food was only so so. My favorite part of the meal was the salad dressing (Gorgonzola vinaigrette) and that’s really kind of sad. The salad itself was blah. I ordered a baked pasta dish and it was pretty flavorless and bland. Even dumping a ton of grated cheese on it didn’t really help.
I guess if I hadn’t been there in the past when this was the go to place in Farmington, I wouldn’t have been so disappointed. It was fine… but nowhere near what it used to be. Their other restaurant, Peopercorn’s, is leaps and bounds above in terms of food quality. With so many other restaurants in the area, Piccolo Arancio needs to step up their game if they want to be back on top.

Right next to our hotel,
The food is amazing, pasta server el dente like I like.
Atmosphere very pleasant.
Our waiter was a bit on the weird side, seems like others have enjoyed his quirkiness.
Overall, the food far and away overshadowing his weird demeanor.
We will surely be returning!

The food at this restaurant was very good. However the service was not so good. Our waiter complained about making mojitos. One of my friends ordered one so most of us did. When it got to me I said make it four, were going easy on you with all of the same drinks. And he actually said, no you’re not. Have you ever made a mojito? We were in shock. Then at the end of our lunch one of our friends paid in cash because she had to leave early. We told him how to split the bill and when he came back he said, who paid in cash. We said it was out friend that had left and one of said «i will take care of it.» For some reason this guy thought that meant the change was automatically for him and took out the dollar and out it in his pocket. Very interesting man he was.

Such a nice friendly atmosphere. We had dinned here a few years ago and decided to come back for our wedding anniversary. The wait staff was so accommodating and friendly. The food was awesome. So glad we decided to come back. It has been to long.

Great food and service. Went on a Thursday night and it was pretty quiet. We split the chopped salad special and really enjoyed it. My husband had the veal chop and it was cooked perfectly. I had the lobster pasta and as always it was delicious. I always say I am going to try something different but change my mind last minute. Love this place and the food is always fantastic.

Used to be great with good service. Sadly to say, the staff has slipped. I was planning on honing with a vegetarian and the staff was so rude on the phone and dismissive when I asked what vegetarian main dish options they had, it made me not even want to go! This after the first person said to the question, «Sorry, I can’t help you with that.» I guess they can’t help customers anymore or do they need them…

Sometimes you wonder if its the restaurant or if its you.
But after so many amazing visits to this place, it had been some time since our last visit. And this time, the shine seemed to be off a little. The mojito missed some of that sweetness (both literally and figuratively).
And the food was ok, but far from the OMG-​so-​amazingness that I had loved before. The osso bucco seemed a little too heavy on sauce without some of the subtleness of the bone marrow (though having the small fork now was better). The risotto that went with it was forgetful. (By comparison, the risotto I recently had at Sorella in Hartford was amazing). The seafood risotto was similarly bland and a little short on shellfish.
My other dining companion had the veal and loved it. Simply prepared it let the meat speak for itself.
The desserts were also disappointing. Profiteroles with coffee ice cream just didn’t cut it and the bread pudding shouldn’t be called that. It was more like a slice of cake. It was ok, but not what you want if you like bread pudding.
Water glasses were slow to be filled and were small.
Overall, an a-​OK meal, but just not one that I’ll rush back for the next time around. It’s been around so long, the owners need to watch that they don’t rest on their laurels. They have been better than this and I expect them to kick it up a notch.

Food was okay for the price/​level of the restaurant.
Somewhat of a limited wine selection.
Bread was sadly mediocre.
Greatest redeeming factor was the service which was very good.
Overall no major complaints, but I think there’s better in the area.

Wow! I guess I went in the wrong entrance at the front of the restaurant. Immediately, a server was very rude to me. I’d had a long day and was in no mood for this poor «welcome.» I left insulted and disappointed.
Maples Pizza across the street is more casual than I usually go for, but tonight they were warm, welcoming, and provided terrific food and service.

CT has much better Italian food to offer over this place.
Food was overpriced and mediocre however the drinks were good and the bartender was nice.
I ordered a limoncello martini (yummy!) and the Fettuccine all’aragosta; the lobster was good but the pasta was over cooked and chewy and the sauce tasted like tuna helper, ewwwww.
On the upside the décor was nice and the service was attentive.
Still, probably won’t be going here again.

We had dinner here on a saturday evening recently. Our reservation was at 7:30pm. I was surprised the restaurant was not even half full. We ordered the calamari, which had no flavor and was served with cold maranara sauce. The salad with candied walnuts and goat cheese was delicious. My husband ordered the angus steak, which had to be sent back because it was so under cooked. I noticed the two
Women at the table next to us sent their veal chop back to be cooked more as well. My daughter had the fettuccini with lobster and it was tasteless. I ordered the salmon and it was prepared well. But the potatos served with it were like hockey pucks. The wait staff was excellent.
We opted out of desert.

Along with the Grist Mill, this is one of the two best restaurants in Farmington. The veal chop and the osso bucco are among the best around. The menu selections are ample and the atmosphere is cozy, though a tad cramped in spots. Decent wine list.

Totally pedestrian food for the prices.
She had the gnocchi, which she liked a great deal.
I ordered off of the «daily» special list and got the arugula salad and the sea bass. The salad was terribly overdressed to the point of being inedible. I braved a quarter of it and left the rest. The bass was well-​cooked, but the sauce on top was cold. It was served with greasy, boring sauteed green beans and a few roasted potato wedges. $ 32 for this clumsy plate that I could’ve produced at home for $ 10 is criminal.
The service was a nightmare from the hostess, who was more concerned about her phone and texting than her guests, to our server, who was clumsy and had a habit of disappearing despite there only being about 15 guests in the restaurant in all sections combined.
All in all, this is an avoid.

Fantastic food.
Have been here twice for lunch, both times we had the Paillard (Chicken Saltimbocca) Which was absolutely scrumptious! We had some appetizers the first time, hubby had the Portobello mushroom, and he LOVED it… I had the Bruschetta, which was Ok, but much better once i asked for a side of reduced Balsamic (like what they had drizzled over the Portobello)…it was fabulous!
The bread is fresh and oh so yummy, especially with the very strong olive oli dipping sauce. Their Iced Tea is some of the best Ive had, its very strong and very tasty!
The second time they were not serving the yummy potato cake with the lunch, they were doing roasted potatoes, which i did not care for as much as I LOVED the potato cake!
We also shared a ceasar salad which was quite good.
We cannot wait to go back here yet again! One of these days we need to try a different entrée, but the Saltimbocca is just soooo amazing!
ps…The service does kinda suck as Michele said. We went the first time, with an hour and a half to spare before hubbys dr’s appt, and after an hour we told her she needed to speed things up, that we had to be somewhere in about 30 mins, shes like OH u need to leave in thirty mins and i said ‘NO WE NEED TO BE SOMEWHERE in THIRTY!’ I then pointed out we had been there over an hour already… then she finally got the lead out… LOL
The second time, was super fast, I was ordered and done eating and out the door within a half hour… BUT the waitress was pretty snotty. She never came back either, so luckily i was able to ask the guy who dropped off my food to fill my glass…

When in Farmington and in the mood for a truly exceptional Italian dining experience, do yourself a favor and reserve a table at the ever warm and inviting Piccolo Arancio. I chose this restaurant on recommendation by friend and was not disappointed. Whether it’s a special occasion, a first date that you want to impress or just a romantic night out, this place exceeds expectations.
The wine list is impressive and extensive. However, plan on a bottle or two. They skimp on «by the glass» offerings. Piccolo gets huge points for having m favorite Cabernet Sauvignon-​Cakebread. My dining companion and I immediately decided on a bottle of this. After a few minutes of perusing the menu, we had decided upon the Portobello al forno for an appetizer, I chose the Ravioli Al’ Arancia and my friend had chosen the Ossobucco. The waitstaff commended our choices and said that the appetizer would be out shortly.
The Portobello al forno was one of the most unforgettable mushroom apps I’ve ever had. Layers of portobello, onion, peppers, gorgonzola and then toasted and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. The perfection portion for sharing. I was hesitant at first that the gorgonzola would be overwhelming but it wasn’t at all. A few minutes after we had finished our app, the waiter came over to clear our plates, refresh our wine and assure us that our entrees would be out shortly. The staff was very professional and unobtrusive.
Our entrees had finally arrived and I couldn’t have been more blown away,. Taste, presentation, portion… everything was perfect. I’m not a huge fan of ossubucco but was almost disappointed that I didn’t order that when I saw how amazing it looked. The ossobucco was served with a saffron risotto that I had to sample; amazing and something I would definitely order as an appetizer or a substitute side on a return visit. The Ravioli that I ordered was just as I hoped it would be; light but packed with flavor. Each little pouch of pasta was filled with ricotta, spinach and orange rind and tossed in a sage butter and orange sauce with shavings of parmesan reggiano. Heavenly. I’d love to say that I’d order it again but there are so many other things on this menu that I want to try.
We were entirely too stuffed for dessert, but the Tiramisu and the Baked Berries Zabaglione looked fabulous. Overall, this was an excellent dining experience. The staff was professional and unobtrusive. They gave helpful recommendations and refilled water and refreshed wine as needed without being bothersome. I can’t wait to tell people about this place and return for my next dinner here.